Refrigerator of the absorption type



March 10, 1931. BEAUMONT 1,795,538

REFRIGERATOR THE ABSORPTION TYPE Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 262. v 2 Fig. 4

March 10, 1931. I

G. BEAUMONT REFRIGERATOR OF THE ABSORPTION TYPE Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 GEORGES BEAUMONT, F MARSEILLE,FRANCE REFRIGERATOR or THE ABSORPTION TYPE Application filed November22,

The present invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly torefrigerators of the absorption type for the production of ice fordomestic use.

kind of refrigerator comprises a generatorabsorber and anevaporator-condenser, the upper part of the evaporator-condenser beingconnected to the lower part of the generator-absorber by a collectingpipe arranged on an axle, by rotation about which axle the refrigeratoris enabled to take up three positions corresponding respectively to theoperations of clearing, heating and congelation.

These refrigerators have a plurality of inconveniences:

1. They involve in general the consumption of a considerable quantity offuel and a relatively long time for heating.

2. During the evaporation of the gas absorbing solution such as, forexample, am-

monia,the so-called rich solution,-smalldrops of water are carried overwith the vapour, as a consequence of which the refrigcrating efiect isdiminished.

3. The ases which return to the generatorabsorber or absorption duringthe congelation formbubbles and these bubbles pass through the weaksolution without bursting, so that a counter pressure within thegenerator-absorber above the absorbing liquid is developed, as a resultof which the correct functioning of the apparatus. is hindered,

- The principal object of the present invention is to provideimprovements in this kind of refrigerator for the purpose of avoidingall the above-mentionedinconveniences which render the functioning ofthe apparatuses uncertain and thuslimit their application. Thecharacteristic featureof the present invention, consists in theincreasing of the heating-surface by means of tubes which receive-thehot gases fromthe source of heat and convey them to -a position; ad-'acent to the centre of the volume 'of-solution l to be heated, wherebya considerable economy in the fuel consumption andin the time 're-'quired for heating is effected. The increase of the heating surfacecauses the result that small drops of water are carried over with theevaporated gases. In order to render the This known 1928, Serial No.321,178, and in. malice November a, 1928.

as dry it is necessary to provide means for reeing it from all. thesedrops of water. This result is obtained by means of battles arrangedwithin the generator-absorber just in front of the outlet opening orcollecting pipe leading from the generatorebsorber to theevaporator-condenser. In the present case these baffles are constitutedby a flat disc arranged at a small distance from the smaller opening ofa cone-shaped funnel. In this way not only are the drops of water whichare carried off during the evaporation of the rich. solution preventedfrom passing over with the gas into the collectin pipe. and thence intothe evaporator c-on enser, but also, when the apparatus is in theposition of congelation the as which returns to the generator-absorberor absorption, and forms bubbles, cannot pass through the poor solutionwithout the bubbles bursting, so that the production of acounter-pressure in the top of the generator-absorber which might hinderthe correct functioning of the refrigerating apparatus is entirelyprevented. A ratchet wheel is also provided on the axle of thecollecting pipe, which ratchet wheel co-operates with a pawl on thecasing of the refrigerator in such manner as to prevent the possibilityof turning the apparatus in the wrong direction in order tobring t '80into the heating positon or congelation posltion res ectively. A preerred constructional form according to the invention is illustrated byway of example in the accompanying drawings, 1n which: I

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of said preferred form of arefrigeratlng'apparatus of the absorption type in the position forheating. p 99 Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the apparatus in the positionfor congelation. p

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the apparatus in the position for clearing.

I Fig. .4 is a-plan view to ratus being in position for -heating. Fig. 5is an elevation of a 'deta1l, v1z. an

electrical heating element.

The generator has a cylindrical body 2; (Fig. 1) provided at the end -whch 1s tobe 100 i 1, the appa .95

- cylindrical body 2 near to the bottom, the

heated with a central tube 3, extending to about half the length of thegenerator-ah sorber and forming a kind of chimney, which" dischargesinto lateral tubes 4 arranged at right angles to the side wall of thebody 2, and communicating with the air outside the generator absorber.The walls of these tubes 3, 4 serve to increase the heating surface ofthe generator-absorber 2 and to guide the gases coming from a heatingmeans 5 carried by a support 6, towards the central portion of the richsolution 7 contained in the generator-absorber 2.

The central tube 3 is provided with a screw thread 31 which is adaptedto co-operate with the screw threaded end 31 of an electrical heatingelement 32 in known manner. (Fig. 5.) The said heating element 32, whenscrewed into the central tube 3, will heat 7 central portion of the richsolution 7, thus very efliciently producing heat within the solution andconsequently developing ammonia gas very rapidly. In the position forcongelation the tubes 3 and 4 serve as cooling means, inasmuch as acurrent of fresh air will be automatically produced, owing to thedifference of temperature, between the central tube 3 and the tubes 4.The circulation of air which thus arises very quickly produces a vacuumin the interior of the generator-absorber above the weak solution, thusincreasing the output of the apparatus.

The inner part of the generator-absorber 2, opposite to the end which isto be heated, is provided with a flat disc 8 of smaller diameter thanthat of the cylindricalbody of the generator-absorber 2. This disc 8 isarranged in close proximity to the opening 9 of a cone-shaped funnelmember 10, the

base of which is fixed to the side wall of the said funnel member coversthe sieve-like end 11 of the S-shaped collecting pipe 13 connecting thegenerator-absorber 2 to the evaporator-condenser 14.

The said evaporator-condenser 14 consists of a tube which is enlarged atits upper part shown in, Fig. 2), the enlarged part bemg connectedto thecollecting pipe 13. The narrower portion of the eva orator-condens er 1sinten ed for the reception of the mould. A central tube passes throughthe evaporatorcondenser in known manner from one end to the other. Acollar 15 is fixed to the middle of the collecting pipe 14, and carriestwo horizontal shafts 1 6, 17 which are mount-, 'ed at their other endsin supports 18, 19 fixed to the tank or casing 20. The latter iswatertight and is provided with a draining pipe 21.

On the shaft 16 a ratchet wheel 22 is fixed, which ratchet wheel,co-operates with a pawl 23 fixed to one of the side walls of the casing2.0. A handle 24 is provided for the purpose of rotating the apparatusround the shafts 16, 17 The apparatus may be fixed tions in the in eachof its three principal positions by means of a.retaining member 25pivotally attached to the casing 20 and adapted to engage with any oneof the three rests 26, two of which are arranged on thegenerator-absorber 2 and one on the evaporator-condenser 14. Theapparatus is, of course, made fluid and gas tight.

After a vacuum has been created in the apparatus, the boiler orgenerator-absorber 2 is charged with an absorbent solution, theconstituents ofthe solution in their proporparts by weight beingpreferably as follows:

12 parts of ammonium acetate.

12 parts of chloride of calcium.

1 part of distilled water.

This solution has a very high power of absorption without necessitatinga high temperature, and bein slightly viscous it prevents oxidization 0%the interior of the apparatus. The mode of operation of the apparatus isas follows:

The generator-absorber is placed in the position indicated in Fig. 1,namely, the heating' position, andis maintained in this position bymeans of the retaining member 25 and the corresponding rest 26 on theside wall of the generator-absorber. The rich solution 7 is very rapidlyheated by the passage of the hot gases through the tubes 3 and 4. Theammonia gas thus separates from the liquid and escapes and forms avapour. The generatorabsorber 2 is heated either by means of a fire orburner arranged beneath it on a support 6, or else by means of anelectrical heating element 32 which is screwed into the central tube 3.v

The ammonia gas ascends in the generatorabsorber and impinges on itspath first against the disc 8 and then against the outer surface ofthe'cone-shaped funnel 10. These last two members act as baliles andkeep the small drops of water and the steam, which ascend with theammonia gas, back,-so that the steam condenses and falls together withthe aforesaid small drops down into the solution, whilst the dry ammoniagas passes through the holes of the sieve-like end 11 of theconnecting'pipe 13. During the heating period the top and side walls ofthe evaporator-condenser 14 are cooled by means of water issuing from asprinkler 30. .The cooling action thus obtamed causes the pure ammoniagas to condense and the evaporamovement can only be effected in the onedirection inasmuch as movement in the opposite direction is prevented bymeans of the ratchet wheel 22 and the pawl 23, whereby the return of theliquified ammonia from the evaporator-condenser back into thegenerator-absorber which would disturb the congelation effect) isprevented. When the evapo: rator-condenser 14 is in the position'forcongelation the mould 27 containing the liquid to be frozen is attachedto it. The said liquid may be allowed to fill even the central tube ofthe evaporator-condenser 14, whereby the production or output of theapparatus is increased. In this case the said central tube will'beclosed at its lower part. The generator-absorber 2 is cooled by thepassage of air through the tubes 3 and 4:, owing to the difference oftemperature, a positive cooling draught being thus obtained in additionto the cooling effect produced by the sprinkler 30 arranged above thegenerator-absorber 2. The liquified ammonia contained in theevaporator-condenser 14 evaporates and returns, owing to the absorptionaction, through the collecting pipe 13 and its sievelike end 11 into theweak absorbing liquid. The gas is entirely absorbed by the solutioninasmuch as the gas bubbles which escape from the sieve-like end 11never enter into the upper art of the generator-absorber owing to theact that they strike upon the baffles constituted by the disc 8 and thefunnel 10 and thus burst in the lower portion of the liquid. As aconsequence of this the vacuum' within the generator-absorber will bemaintained.

If the disc 8 and funnel 10 were not provided' the gas bubbles wouldpass right through the cylinder and would burst within the vacuum of thegenerator-absorber thereby increasing the pressure and diminishing theabsorption power considerably, so: that eflicient operation of theapparatus as regards output would be impossible. With an apparatusaccording to the present invention, it is possible to obtain 5kilogrammes of ice when the atmospheric temperature is 30 C. after aheating operation lasting 40 minutes and a congelation operation lasting50 minutes.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator of the absorption type I comprising in combination: acylindrical generator-absorber; a cylindrical evaporatorcondenserarranged with its longitudinal axis parallel to that of saidgenerator-absorber; a

denser; a cone-shaped funnel member located adjacent to the end of saidgenerator-absorber at which said collecting pipe enters and covering theend of said collecting pipe within said generator-absorber; a flat discof smaller diameter than the internal diameter of saidgenerator-absorber arranged at a short distance from the smallerend ofsaid funnel member; and means for rotating the refrig-. erator about anaxis located approximately at the centre of said collecting pipe,substantially as described.

2. A refrigerator of the absorption type as specified in claim 1,wherein said generatorabsorber is provided with an axial tube extendingwithin said generator-absorber from that end of the latter which isremote from said collecting pipe, and a plurality of tubes connectingthe end of said axial tube with the side wall of saidgenerator-absorber, substantially as described. p

3. A refrigerator of the absorption type, as specified in claim 1,wherein said collecting pipe is provided with a sieve-like end portionrunning parallel to the end of said generatorabsorber, substantially asdescribed.

4. A refrigerator of the absorption type, as specified in claim 1,wherein said means for rotating the refrigerator comprises: a shaftattached to said collecting pipe and provided with a handle, a ratchetwheel on said shaft, and a pawl co-operating with said ratchet in suchmanner as only to permit of rotation of said shaft in one direction,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 'I have aifixed my

